NEW CASTLE, Del. — Sam and Victoria Gutman have always been smart shoppers, but they have gone to another level during the recent recession, buying automobiles, computers and more from distressed owners.

“God continues to bless us,” says Sam. “All things really do work for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. We’re living proof.”

Last week they bought a Lexus coupe from a man who lost his job — and pension — when his employer collapsed.

“He was weeping when he gave me the keys,” Sam says. “I got that car for a third of what it’s worth. Beautiful leather seats, new tires. God is so good.”

Victoria fondly recalls buying a bedroom suite from a couple going through an acrimonious divorce.

“That was one of our best deals yet,” she says. “They drove the price down just to spite each other. That lovely set adorns our bedroom and is a lasting testimony to God’s provision.”

The kids have gotten in on it, too. Sam walks through his garage and points to a pair of bikes his children bought from neighborhood families whose kids sold their toys to help pay bills.

“The way God cares for our kids is so moving to me,” says Sam. “It’s like he has these items waiting for us, and at rock-bottom prices.”

Even the home they live in was purchased as a foreclosure after weeks of aggressive counter-offering.

“God helped us negotiate that one down until we were practically stealing it from them,” Victoria says. “It belonged to a guy who was laid off and had to get a job at McDonald’s. The tilework is unbelievable.”

In the driveway sits a luxury RV bought from a man who had to part with it after his wife died tragically. The couple had intended to drive across America when they retired. Now the Gutmans will take the RV on vacation to Aspen and Santa Fe where they low-bid timeshare rentals from people facing personal bankruptcy.